4.8 Magnitude Quake Rattles New York City

A 4.8 magnitude temblor gently shook New York City this morning at 10:23 a.m. and was felt as far away as Boston and Philadelphia. No damage was reported. Mayor Eric Adams said he didn't even feel it.

“I didn’t feel it, my security detail brought it to my attention,” he said. 

“New Yorkers should go about their normal day,” he added. “First responders are working to make sure the city is safe.”

Adams also told residents to expect aftershocks.

“If you feel an aftershock, drop to the floor, cover your head and neck, and take cover under a solid piece of furniture next to an interior wall or any doorway,” Adams said during the news conference.

The kids are probably disappointed that the quake wasn't severe enough to cancel classes.

“At this time, there is no indication that our buildings were compromised, and our facilities staff are quickly and thoroughly inspecting buildings to ensure safety,” school system spokesperson Nathaniel Styer said on X. “The safest place for our kids right now is in our schools, schools are operating as normal.”

The Empire State Building had a little fun with the quake.

I AM FINE

— Empire State Building (@EmpireStateBldg) April 5, 2024

Some people had fun right back.

We want a shaking light display tonight to commemorate this.

— Matthew Arthur-Gray (@marthurgray) April 5, 2024

Blink twice if your Qatari owners made you say that.

— The Mossad: Satirical, Yet Awesome (@TheMossadIL) April 5, 2024

Have you heard from Chrysler? 🙏

— Jason Curtis Anderson (@JCAndersonNYC) April 5, 2024

You did it! Congratulations from everyone in California, you now have the big red dot! pic.twitter.com/sJQjW21P7U

— Stephanie Hart (@StephAnnHart) April 5, 2024

Californians, of course, mocked the New Yorkers for getting all worked up over a minor temblor.

“This would have been a nonevent in California,” structural engineer Ron Hamburger told the New York Times. “It should not have caused any significant damage in New York.”

We survived the NYC earthquake.

We will rebuild pic.twitter.com/8Zwvlz2Jg5

— Brandon Trusso (@brandontrusso) April 5, 2024

Californians watching New Yorkers react to a 4.8 earthquake pic.twitter.com/maF0LRpr5m

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) April 5, 2024

Earthquake in NY , mercury in reggeaton , solar eclipse.
It’s really the end of days pic.twitter.com/RFqsw3xuHC

— cesar (@LemonierCesar) April 5, 2024

Daily Mail:

An emergency alert was set off on cell phones 40 minutes after the earthquake hit, leading social media users to share more hilarious memes about the delayed reaction. 

New Yorkers second guessed themselves when the trembles hit the Big Apple and sprinted to social media to confirm their suspicions. 

'I genuinely thought I was losing it,' a user posted.  

Social media users have shared posts about the earthquake, also felt in New Jersey, Virginia and Philadelphia.

“There’s been nothing close to this for a long time,” Dr. Folarin Kolawole, a geologist at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University said. He added that the largest previous quake in the region took in 1957 with a magnitude of 3.8: “So this is large and significant."

Here in the Midwest, we're waiting for the New Madrid Fault to let go. In 1811-12, several quakes ended up changing the course of the Mississippi River. The U.S. Geological Survey wrote a report in 2008 that stated flatly, "that a serious earthquake in the NMSZ [New Madrid Seismic Zone] could result in "the highest economic losses due to a natural disaster in the United States." 

USGS further predicted "widespread and catastrophic" damage across many Southern and Midwestern states "particularly Tennessee, where a 7.7 magnitude quake would cause damage to tens of thousands of structures affecting water distribution, transportation systems, and other vital infrastructure."

Needless to say, no one is anxious for that fault line to let go.